Strawberry Fields For 'MasterChef' Christine Ha

And now it's time for the occasional feature we call In Your Ear. That's where guests of the program tell us the songs they're listening to for a little inspiration. Today is a very special, probably stressful day for "MasterChef" contestant Christine Ha. Why?

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "MASTERCHEF")

GARY RHODES: The person joining Josh in the "MasterChef" finale, that person is Christine.

(APPLAUSE)

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CHRISTINE HA: It's really surreal. I just can't believe I've made it this far.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Good job, Christine.

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MARTIN: That's right. Tonight is the finale of "MasterChef," where Christine Ha is duking it out for the top title. She talked with us in the heat of the competition. Here are some of the tunes that keep her cooking.

HA: Hi, this is Christine Ha and this is what's playing in my ear.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "STRAWBERRY FIELDS")

THE BEATLES: (Singing) Let me take you 'cos I'm going to Strawberry Fields. Nothing is real and nothing to get hung about. Strawberry fields forever...

HA: "Strawberry Fields" by The Beatles, that was my mother's favorite Beatles song, and so growing up, I heard it a lot playing throughout our house. It's a song that reminds me of my childhood and with my mother.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "STRAWBERRY FIELDS")

BEATLES: (Singing) No one I think is in my tree, I mean it must be high or low. That is you can't you know tune in but it's all right, that is I think it's not too bad. Let me take you down, 'cause I'm going to Strawberry Fields. Nothing is...

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "WE ARE YOUNG")

FUN.: (Singing) Give me a second I, I need to get my story straight. My friends are in the bathroom getting higher than the Empire State.

HA: And the other song that I also like to listen to is "We Are Young" by fun. because that song will always remind me of the time that I spent in L.A. filming "MasterChef" with the rest of the contestants. And we've used to ride around in the casting van blasting that song at the top of the speakers and singing it together.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "WE ARE YOUNG")

FUN.: (Singing) So if by the time the bar closes and you feel like falling down, I'll carry you home. Tonight we are young so let's set the world on fire, we can burn brighter than the sun.

HA: From day one in being in the casting van when there was still 100 of us, it was always playing on the radio. It was just a popular song at the time. And as the cast started dwindling down, it was still a popular song and we would hear it a lot on the radio going to and from set, between our living quarters and set. And it was just, you know, a peppy, upbeat song and it was one of the things that made us feel happy during a time of deep stress.

MARTIN: That was Chef Christine Ha telling us what's playing in her ear. To hear our earlier conversation with Christine Ha, please go to our website, npr.org. Click on the Programs tab and then on TELL ME MORE.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "WE ARE YOUNG")

FUN.: The world is on my side. I have no reason to run. So will someone come and carry me home tonight...

MARTIN: And before we go, we'd like to welcome some new members to our listing family, the stations of Vermont Public Radio. Welcome. I'm Michel Martin and this is TELL ME MORE from NPR News. Let's talk more tomorrow. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.